In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

Director Su's attitude hardened; this was no longer a discussion, but an order.

She said she couldn't contact Xu Shi all night, so you got him?

I should have thought of that earlier. That little brat is quick to act... Well, whatever you're doing, the best we can do is address the root cause.

You are not allowed to participate in Impart!

"...Oh, I see."

Gu Yi stuck out her tongue. If Sister Su Lin said that, she wouldn't dare to do it even if she had two more lives... Besides, even though the experience of sexual intercourse is good, you can't overindulge.

But she soon realized another problem: maybe it wasn't just Sister Su Lin, but others who had also tried to contact Xu Shi secretly last night?

Most likely... So when they meet up, won't they all turn on me?

If that were the case, I'd be in real trouble—don't be fooled by how well everyone got along during Xu Shi's absence; some things can't be hidden just because people get along, especially things like this where it's not scarcity but inequality that's the problem...

To make matters worse, she was the weakest and most cowardly of the four people who stayed behind in Night City.

Su Lin and Tang Shuang remained as assertive as ever. As for Lin Yue, she was only submissive in front of Xu Shi. To outsiders, she was the true Queen of Sin City, a figure whose strength was on par with Governor Tang Shuang.

She herself has also improved, and now she even has an imposing aura that commands respect from many people.

Ah this.

Why not hide in the online world for a few days? Miss Black Rabbit thought this sadly, but then she thought that wouldn't work either. When the ostrich only uploads its consciousness and its body can't move, wouldn't that make it easier for them to settle scores later?

What should I do?

Woo woo woo.

Cheating may bring momentary pleasure, but it will lead to disaster later.

……

Leaving aside how tragic Gu Yi's situation was, Xu Shi, who was far away from home, was unaware of it.

He did not linger on the pleasures of the previous night, but went directly to Pan Cheng and told him about some details.

Xu Shi would naturally tell Pan Cheng what he had told Gu Yi, and his explanation was quite detailed.

Pan Cheng listened more attentively, nodding repeatedly as he listened.

It can only be said that many things were beyond his comprehension. If Xu Shi hadn't come, he would never have come into contact with them in his entire life. Fortunately, Xu Shi was also very considerate and tried his best to explain them in a way that he could understand.

He had already witnessed the benefits of electricity and water conservancy, and found them to be far more practical and convenient than those of the Hualan Empire—the uses of electricity far exceeded his imagination, while water conservancy focused more on underground drainage systems and seawater power generation.

To put it bluntly, although Silver Pine Island is not small and has a sizable population, in Xu Shi's eyes it is just a village. If he wants to develop it into a base, he must first solve these problems. After all, in the future, there will not only be native residents of Silver Pine Island, but he will also definitely send long-term personnel here, such as soldiers and technical personnel.

The former can greatly improve the sanitation here, while the latter is the most economical way to generate electricity—the seawater corroded by the "rust fog" is still undrinkable no matter how much it is purified, but it is fine for generating electricity. There are still some hydroelectric power stations in the City of Night Sin.

"Secondly, there's the issue of running the school. I still need to have a good talk with you, Brother Pan, about this."

He then added, "My idea is to send some talented people from our city-state to establish an academy. It won't be very large, and the curriculum will be quite targeted. For example, adults will be taught technology, while children will start with basic arithmetic and grammar. What do you think?"

"Of course it's no problem."

Pan Cheng agreed very readily, or rather, that was what he valued more.

It is said that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. As the island owner, he has this vision. If Xu Shi handles everything by himself, then no matter how good the things are, they will belong to others. Only by gradually breaking away from their help and learning and mastering these things independently can we truly achieve change.

Even the educational level on Silverpine Island itself is quite average—which is largely due to the structure of the Hualan Empire.

In a society where theocracy and monarchy are separated, it is no surprise that educational institutions have fallen into the hands of the Papacy.

In this context, subjects like language and mathematics are generally simpler, with a greater emphasis on theology derived from the Papacy. The primary task of graduating nuns is to implement the so-called "divine will." Even minor subjects like music and art tend to support this will, with the ultimate goal of further expanding the Papacy's influence and spreading this vast network as far as possible.

The royal family's education, on the other hand, focuses more on the "armed forces" aspect, or in more professional terms, knightly education. The goal is the same: to expand the overall strength of the royal court. It is basically only open to the upper class, and ordinary people have little access to it.

Of course, this doesn't mean there are no exceptions. After all, there is the existence of "rust mist" or "divine breath." By analogy, the probability of producing talented individuals is indeed higher than in similar eras that Xu Shi knew in his previous life.

For example, Luo Yu and that burly little girl, Xiao Mei, are good examples. One was recruited by the Holy See, and the other was a proper apprentice of the Royal Court's mechanic. Although their status was not very high, they were still quite remarkable.

That being said, how many people can truly stand out by relying on their ability to ascend to higher levels? This situation applies equally to Night City of Sin. Many people are disillusioned after awakening their useless superpowers and end up as ordinary laborers.

For ordinary people, the only things they can learn are handicrafts, or more broadly, life skills such as blacksmithing and carpentry.

These are all difficult things for the people of Silverpine Island, ultimately because of their awkward position.

Both the Papacy and the royal family treat them somewhat like chamber pots, paying no attention to them normally, and forcing them to do things when needed. Otherwise, they just let them run wild and offer some nominal support.

The people of the Hualan Empire also had little affection for them; in their eyes, these people were no different from barbarians.

Even the poorest beggar in the empire, upon seeing a Silverpine Islander, would arrogantly remark, "You stinking outsiders, come all the way to the main city to beg?"

Therefore, Pan Cheng has been troubled by these issues a lot. To put it bluntly, no one wants themselves, including the people in their hometown, to be like this for generations to come.

Although he's nominally a viscount, nobody really treats him like a nobleman; they're lucky if they think of him as a village chief...

Unfortunately, his abilities weren't really that great; at the very least, he didn't know how to resolve the current situation.

Originally, he had pinned his hopes on Luo Yu, but now he has found a better option in Xu Shi.

What he didn't expect was that Xu Shi's attitude was so good, basically providing him with free help all along... The issue of technology blockade that was most troubling him was actually addressed by the other party in such a way, and even brought it up on his own initiative, which really surprised him.

My God, how can there be such a good person as Brother Xu?

"Brother Xu, are you really... that trusting of me?"

He's a straightforward person, and after thinking about it, he still asked the question.

Xu Shi smiled; of course, he knew what Pan Cheng was thinking.

However, he wasn't worried at all. Firstly, he reasoned that it would have been better to ask sooner rather than later, as the facilities were already quite extensive. Secondly, he wasn't afraid at all. Not only were there dozens of ships hidden in the shadows ready to be deployed at any time, but his two daughters were still in his hands...

Of course, an even more important reason is that Pan Cheng is a very honest person.

As the lord of an island, he couldn't be truly simple-minded and physically strong, but compared to others, he was indeed quite naive.

He has always been kind to me—which is of course related to the fact that my group saved his life, but even so, it is not impossible for a poor and treacherous person to turn around and bite me, right?

Or, to put it another way, the more likely scenario is that he and Cheng Gujian had a relationship of half-trust and half-doubt, a relationship of exploitation.

Therefore, Pan Cheng's attitude has already saved him a lot of trouble, so he doesn't mind supporting him. In fact, Xu Shi thinks that his Brother Pan is very similar to Ding Jun, but compared to Ding Jun, Pan Cheng is more pure.

Besides, as I said before, building Silver Pine Island isn't just beneficial to the locals; it also helps him a lot... A complete overseas base will have a far-reaching impact.

Of course, what you think in your heart and what you say are not the same thing; some things are just tacit understandings between everyone.

“If Brother Pan asks me that, I will have absolutely no such concerns.”

Therefore, Xu Shi's answer was, "As for the exchange program mentioned before, we'll have to wait until things settle down here before we can implement it."

Then comes the next step: to upgrade further and bring this place up to the same level as Night City... However, Xu Shi also knows that this is not easy. It's like jumping from the medieval era to the highly information age. No matter how much you shorten the process, it can't be done overnight. If you can't even walk, you can't run.

"I am already very grateful that you have helped Silver Pine Island to this extent."

Pan Cheng nodded repeatedly. To be honest, if they hadn't already become sworn brothers, he wouldn't have refused to call him godfather...

However, he didn't forget to confirm another matter, "By the way, Brother Xu, are you going to wait until all of this is settled before going to the Imperial City, or are you planning to leave soon?"

"I can't delay for too long; I'll probably set off in the next few days."

Xu Shi didn't hide anything from him, "These two things can be done together... Has there been any progress on the information I asked Brother Pan to help me find out?"

"There are some."

Pan Cheng said earnestly, taking out several parchment scrolls and handing them to him, "These contain information about the recent situation in the Empire."

Xu Shi took it and looked at it; it was pretty much what he had expected.

Because he and Cheng Gujian were openly bound together, even if the other party didn't say anything, the people would spontaneously believe that the royal family deserved credit for defeating the sea god.

With this honor in hand, the royal family has been enjoying considerable prestige lately, even showing a trend of overshadowing the Papacy.

However, the Vatican did not collapse so easily. With its large number of believers, it had managed to minimize the negative public opinion against it, and many people still maintained their faith in them, or rather, in the so-called God.

Overall, the changes aren't too significant; it's just a change from a 40/60 split to a 60/40 split.

But clearly, this incident has disrupted the original balance to some extent.

“I also sent people to spread the news in various places according to your idea, to tell everyone that all of this is thanks to you, Brother Xu.”

Pan Cheng added, "I wouldn't dare say that everyone who listens will believe it completely, but at least 30% or 40%?"

"It's more than I expected, thank you for your help, Brother Pan."

Xu Shi was quite satisfied with what he heard. There are few people who don't believe in public opinion. As long as a foundation is laid, a little encouragement at the right time will turn it into a raging fire that can't be extinguished.

Although the person hasn't arrived yet, the necessary preparations still need to be made.

"Not at all, compared to your contributions to Silverpine Island, this is really just a small favor."

Pan Cheng quickly waved his hand, "So, Brother Xu, you've made up your mind to confront the Royal Family and the Holy See head-on?"

"That's it."

Xu Shi didn't deny it, and even asked in a feigned manner, "There might be some people hurt at that time... Brother Pan won't mind, will he?"

"You mean him... sigh."

Pan Cheng smiled helplessly. Of course, he knew who Xu Shi was referring to. "Actually, I don't know what to say... but maybe he really has grown up and has his own ideas? Brother Xu, you don't need to worry about me. Just do what you want to do."

"In the end, all I care about now are Xiaofeng, Xiaoling, and Silver Pine Island... Of course, what you're doing isn't easy, so please take good care of yourselves."

As he himself said before, he has made his choice.

Since it's impossible to be perfect in every aspect, the only option is to stick to the decision that's most beneficial to oneself.

"With Brother Pan's words, I feel relieved."

Xu Shi also smiled. Of course, even if Pan Cheng really didn't want to, it wouldn't change anything.

After all, his first target was the Vatican; a dog in distress deserves a good beating!

Now, it's almost time to return to the imperial capital. His injuries have healed, and he has handed over all the necessary preparations.

It's just a tiny little tail left.

For example...

"It's almost time, Shen Qin has woken up. Would you like to come and see her?"

Suddenly I remembered that Xie Qingyan's new ability is to transform into an octopus girl, so that can be considered fulfilling my promise and adding a bit of Cthulhu to the story, right?

Yes, it is like that.

(End of this chapter)